The **OTHER** Super Swamp Fox build....

[hydromike]

I figured we could all double up on the fun of watching JP build up his Super Swamp Fox. Mine was a bit of a haul to pick up, but was well worth the 1468 mile round-trip tour of the beautiful American Mid-West.

The frame on this one isn't nearly as nice as JPs, but the body is really quite nice. Both back axles were cut off by the previous-previous owner, so I had to cut some for it over the weekend just to be able to move this hulking mass of AATV history around. I have the front floor pan and the OH160 engine cover which are in great shape. I doubt I'll use them, though.

The frame is rough, it'll need new axles, sprockets and bearings (don't they all?), but that's the easy stuff. The hard part is deciding on power, and getting the layout right the first time around, so I don't end up saying "I wish I'd done that differently". The Hustler got done pretty quickly, and the Max VIII is basically on hold for a while until I decide which direction I want to go with the next step.

Anyway, here she is. She's a bigg'un.



~m

[Obsessed]

Wow...that is in great shape...after watching Noels machine run through the swamp...im kinda getting the "fox" fever too :-)

too much fun

[George]

Nice!

These things are among the fastest swimmers I've seen.

[mudbug3]

hydromike


The tub on the Super Swamp Fox that you picked up cleaned up pretty good!

[hydromike]

hydromike


The tub on the Super Swamp Fox that you picked up cleaned up pretty good!

Thanks! It was a very tedious process...

That's a lie. It was a can of WD-40 and an old rag. It looked great when I picked it up. With some good wax and a buffer, I bet it would be blinding. The gel-coat held up well over the years. Repairing dings in the gel-coat is pretty easy with fiber glass resin and pigment from rustoleum red-brown primer. I wish the inside looked as nice.

[jpswift1]

Dude, that looks great! We'll have to have a SSF build party soon. I think between the two of our machines we'll be able to figure out what we need to in order to get both of them trail worthy. I've got the correct T-20 bracing all in tact, but I see you need some. I don't have a seat frame, but I'll be able to get the dimensions off yours. I don't have a front floor pan, but you do. These rebuilds shouldn't be all that difficult.......hopefully!

[mark m.]

Here I thought you had to go out of town on company business. Instead you snuck out real quiet and snatched that machine up, came back and said, hey everybody...look what I found

Are you and JP in a race or something? Anyway, nice looking machine there Mike. You know, with all that room in the back of that thing maybe you should consider one of those outrageous motor transplants.

[hydromike]

I've got the correct T-20 bracing all in tact, but I see you need some. I don't have a seat frame, but I'll be able to get the dimensions off yours. I don't have a front floor pan, but you do.

I have the brackets and the linkage and the shifters, but I don't think I'm going to use them, or the front floor pan, or the seat frame, or the laterals..... any of it. We'll work something out.

You know, with all that room in the back of that thing maybe you should consider one of those outrageous motor transplants.

I'd love to! I don't have a clue what will be going in it. Lots of sitting back and pondering to be done before I get too steeped in the project. With so much missing or needing to be re-done, it makes sense to start with a blank slate, and think about how to make it better.

[Noel Woods]

The body looks great, you really have a clean sheet to start with. When you and JP are done, I'll have to bring my SSF North for a group ride. Maybe Don will meet us as well. Any other SSF owners out there interested????

[broncofiresmith]

The body looks great, you really have a clean sheet to start with. When you and JP are done, I'll have to bring my SSF North for a group ride. Maybe Don will meet us as well. Any other SSF owners out there interested????

I should have the bugs out of mine by then and would be all in for a group ride.

[hydromike]

The body looks great, you really have a clean sheet to start with. When you and JP are done, I'll have to bring my SSF North for a group ride. Maybe Don will meet us as well. Any other SSF owners out there interested????

That's a heck of a road trip! I thought 700 miles was a heck of a trip to pick it up! OK, I'm in.... Maybe we could find a nice riding place mid-way. Some place new and exotic. Hmmm....

[jpswift1]

Count me in too!

[hydromike]

How do I fix my Super Swamp Fox frame?????

.... I don't....

The old frame was a bit rust-scaled, and I didn't (at all) like the way the original frame was put together. The overall idea was adequate, but poorly executed. I want to incorporate several upgrades, including new, more robust chain adjusters, transmission cradle, engine mount and general reinforcements. This is just the skeleton that's been tack-welded together while I sit on my garage-stool and think about it a bit more.

[Middlefork Miner]

I'm still pondering too ...I'm still waiting on the rest of my tires & all the wheels to show up... What size steel is that? Right now, I'm thinking of 12 ga. with gussets on the corners & if I can't find someone who'll bend a lip on the top & bottom, I'm thinking I may just weld some 1/2" square tubing to the top & bottom of the rails...I did do one piece & it's pretty stout...it's "at least" as stout as the original rails, probably more so.

[Mike]

Nice work. Did you use a plasma cutter to cut the steel?